Around Spitsbergen - Kvitøya

Spitsbergen Cruises

Starting from $7,450

This cruise around Spitsbergen gives you a great chance to see whales, foxes, reindeer, seals, and polar bears. The expedition will make a landing on the island of Kvitøya, a site of historical significance, and home of a large walrus population.

Dates you wish to travel (optional):

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Save up to 20% on select cabin categories while supplies last!

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Starting from $7,450

Rates & Dates Prices are per person and shown in USD.

Quadruple Porthole

Triple Porthole

Twin Porthole

Twin Window

Twin Deluxe

Superior

Junior Suite

Grand Suite

Hondius Suite

Aug 10, 2019 - Aug 21, 2019

$7,450$6,050

$9,350$7,550

$10,900$8,850

$11,650$9,500

$12,450$10,150

$14,050$11,400

$15,050$12,250

$17,300$14,050

$19,900$16,200

Itinerary

You touch down in Longyearbyen, the administrative center of Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago. Enjoy strolling around this former mining town, whose parish church and Svalbard Museum make for fascinating attractions. Though the countryside appears stark, more than a hundred species of plant have been recorded in it. In the early evening the ship sails out of Isfjorden, where you might spot the first minke whale of your voyage.

Day 2: Cruising Krossfjorden

Heading north along the west coast, you arrive by morning in Krossfjorden. Here you might board the Zodiacs for a cruise near the towering blue-white face of the Fourteenth of July Glacier. On the green slopes near the glacier, colorful flowers bloom while flocks of kittiwakes and Brünnich’s guillemots nest on the cliffs. You also have a good chance of spotting an Arctic fox scouting for fallen chicks, or a bearded seal paddling through the fjord. In the afternoon you sail to Ny Ålesund, the northernmost settlement on Earth. Once a mining village served by the planet’s most northerly railway – you can still see its tracks – Ny Ålesund is now a research center. Close to the community is a breeding ground for barnacle geese, pink-footed geese, and Arctic terns. And if you’re interested in the history of Arctic exploration, visit the anchoring mast used by polar explorers Amundsen and Nobile in their airships, Norge (1926) and Italia (1928).

Day 3: Stop at Seven Islands

You sail through Beverleysundet, formerly navigated by the Swedish-Russian Arc-of-Meridian Expedition in 1898. The northernmost point of your voyage may be north of Nordaustlandet, in the Seven Islands. Here you reach 80° north, just 540 miles from the geographic North Pole. Polar bears inhabit this region, so the ship may park for several hours among the pack ice to watch for them.

Day 4: Soraberget Ascent

Pushing east to Nordaustlandet, you reach the area where the Italian captain Sora tried to rescue the Nobile Expedition in 1928. A possible climb up Soraberget (205 meters, 673 feet) affords a fantastic view of the icecap. Alternatively, you can land at Storøya, where you might encounter a group of walruses.

Day 5: Kvitøya Icecap

Today you try to reach the rarely visited Kvitøya, far to the east and close to Russian territory. The enormous icecap covering this island leaves only a small area bare. You land at the western tip of Andréeneset, where the Swedish explorer S. A. Andrée and his companions perished in 1897. Another objective for the day is Kræmerpynten, where a sizable group of walruses reside.

Day 6: The Longest Glacier in Spitsbergen

South of Nordaustlandet you may land on Isisøya, formerly a Nunatak area surrounded by glaciers – now an island surrounded by the sea. You then may pass by Bråswellbreen, part of the largest ice cap in Europe and famed for its meltwater waterfalls.

Day 7: The Bounties of Barentsøya

The plan is to make landings in Freemansundet, though polar bears sometimes make this impossible. Potential stops on Barentsøya include Sundneset (for an old trapper’s hut), Kapp Waldburg (for its kittiwake colony), and Rindedalen (for a walk across the tundra). You might also cruise south to Diskobukta, though Kapp Lee is more likely your destination. On Kapp Lee are a walrus haul-out, Pomor ruins, and the chance for hikes along Edgeøya.

Day 8: Land of the Pointed Mountains

You start the day by cruising the side fjords of the Hornsund area of southern Spitsbergen, taking in the spire-like peaks: Hornsundtind rises 1,431 meters (4,695 feet), and Bautaen is a perfect illustration of why early Dutch explorers named this island Spitsbergen, meaning “pointed mountains.” There are 14 sizable glaciers in this area as well as opportunities for spotting seals, beluga whales, and polar bears.

Day 9: Beluga Beach

Today you land on Ahlstrandhalvøya, at the mouth of Van Keulenfjorden. Here piles of beluga skeletons, the remains of 19th-century whale slaughter, are a haunting reminder of the consequences of rampant exploitation. Fortunately, belugas were not hunted into extinction, and you have a good chance of coming across a pod. Cruising into Bellsund during the afternoon, you can also explore tundra at the head of the fjord, where reindeer feed.

Day 10: Journey’s End in Longyearbyen

Every adventure, no matter how grand, must eventually come to an end. You disembark in Longyearbyen for your flight home, but with memories that will accompany you wherever your next adventure lies.

Hondius

Included

All meals throughout the voyage aboard the ship including snacks, coffee and tea

All shore excursions and activities throughout the voyage by Zodiac

Program of lectures by noted naturalists and leadership by experienced expedition staff

Free use of rubber boots and snowshoes

Transfers and baggage handling between the airport, hotels and ship only for those passengers on the group flights to and from Longyearbyen

All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the program

AECO fees and governmental taxes

Comprehensive pre-departure material

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the nature of expedition cruising, itineraries are subject to change due to weather, ice conditions, natural and cultural events, wildlife viewing opportunities and other logistical considerations. In general, a ship's crew will endeavor to complete the itinerary provided, but the ultimate decision lies with the ship's captain and expedition leaders.